For the vast majority of people, buying a house is the biggest financial investment they will ever make. It’s not only the culmination of years of hard work, saving as much as possible for a deposit, but it’s also committing to decades of mortgage repayments. The word mortgage comes from French and literally means “until death”. That’s how serious buying a house is!
You’ve probably heard about a house having mould or ‘damp’, especially here in New Zealand with the leaky homes crisis. Even if you’ve heard of it, you may not know what it is exactly, in which case, read on!
What is mould?
Mould is an actual organism, neither animal nor plant, but part of the fungus family. Its job in nature is to break down decaying matter, and you’ll find it wherever there’s organic material. Ultra violet light kills mould, so it needs moisture and darkness to thrive. As wood is organic, mould will grow on the inside of walls, eating away at the drywall or the insulation.
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AuthorGraham Walton is a certified Thermographer & Building Inspector. Archives
June 2016
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